title: Assessment of problem behavior evoked by disruption of ritualistic toy arrangements in a child with autism.
abstract: A functional analysis suggested that the problem behavior of a 9-year-old girl with autism was maintained by gaining the opportunity to restore ritualistic toy arrangements that had been disrupted. Functional communication training and extinction produced clear decreases in problem behavior in 2 contexts: 1 in which we removed a play item, and 1 in which we merely relocated the item and blocked its rearrangement.
authors.affiliation: KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE.
authors.forename: Yanerys
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.forename: William N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Lazarchick
authors.forename: Griffin W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Rooker
authors.forename: Iser G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: DeLeon
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D002648:Child; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy
keywords: behavior disorders; functional analysis; idiosyncratic variables; ritualistic behavior